We had a blast in the Community Ener-tea: Net Zero in our Neighbourhood event! Thank you to all who participated in a cozy evening of tea, cultivating connections, and discussing what net-zero means in our homes and neighborhoods in Vancouver!
The event kicked off with a tour of the City of Vancouver‘s Neighborhood Energy Utility (NEU) facility, which uses waste thermal energy captured from sewage to provide space heating and hot water to buildings in the neighborhood. The facilities were built in 2010 for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Vancouver’s NEUs currently use 70% renewable energy to achieve 100% renewable energy in their 44 buildings by 2030.
The tour was followed by an interactive discussion-based event hosted at a local community center nearby. Our Community Ener-tea: Net Zero in our Neighborhood had attendees from local climate and energy organizations including BC Hydro, CityHive Vancouver, and Youthful Cities, the City of Vancouver, as well as a lovely mixed representation of Vancouver’s general public, including students, professionals, and community members! We discussed Vancouver and Canada’s current net-zero engagements, goals, and how local communities can take climate action within their own smaller communities.
The engagement from our community blew us away and made it clear that events like these that allow for casual space to engage in the energy and climate sector are incredibly important steps towards a just, equitable, sustainable energy future.
